Most discussions on computing security revolve around purely digital threats such as viruses, Trojans, and other malware. But computing devices can also be used to increase physical security against intruders in the home and in offices. For example, many people today carry mobile devices with them wherever they go and many of those mobile devices are constantly searching for wireless networks. This may also be true for unwelcome intruders, who may not remove or turn off their mobile devices before trespassing. In some cases, a person who is authorized to be in one area of a building may be considered an intruder in another area. Locating an unrecognized mobile device may allow security systems to locate the user of the device.
Many traditional systems for locating computing devices require cooperation from the device itself, often in the form of a location application. However, potentially malicious intruders and their mobile devices cannot be counted upon to include such location applications and/or broadcast their own location to security systems. While some traditional systems may be able to locate uncooperative devices by triangulating the device's location based on data from wireless access points, such systems may require additional software on the access points to accomplish this triangulation. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved systems and methods for locating unrecognized computing devices.